Be wary of vendors with false referrals

I have always been a fan of being morally and ethically sound. Does it always end up that way? No one is perfect. Greed does get the best of us sometimes. We as a society tend to justify everything to help us sleep better at night. But, it always catches up with us eventually. I am hoping that the new way Venue’s bring in money will be looked at as a moral issue and cease!

Recently I was approached by a publication stating that a certain venue will be using them to publish brochures. Because I am a preferred vendor there I am given 1st dibs on advertising. If I refuse the venue will no longer be able to refer me……WHAT!!
Yes, you read correctly. They might as well put a gun to my head and say write a check or else! Well, not that severe. After a month to REALLY think about it I sold my soul 

Next, the same publication approached me again and this time it was a different venue….you have got to be kidding! It now snapped in my head the direction the wedding industry was heading. GREED….MORE MONEY….GOTTA INCREASE PROFITS. It’s sad but true.

Of course I did not choose to advertise with the second and wrote a letter explaining why, but let’s really weigh the reasons. As a former reporter I had to gather information on both sides to fully understand the situation. For the one month prior to my first decision I have come up with the following reasons.

Wedding venues are one of the first steps a bride and groom take. We don’t have to like it fellow DJ’s but it is the fact. Most venues have a referral list they hand the bride. Knowing they would get little return by doing this they do it because the vedors they refer will make their jobs easier and or help their clients. Morally and Ethically sound.

Ok next, the corporate world is VERY demanding. Each company wants to see more profits than the previous year. CEO’s and Manangment are forced to find ways to increase revenue anywhere they can find it.

Venue’s are the top of the wedding food chain so why not exploit it at a bad cost.

Now, let’s look at it from the clients perspective. Because, really that is what a great service provider SHOULD look at. The price of a wedding as risen from an estimated $14,300 Ten years ago to $26,800 in 2006 according to theweddingreport.com . Brides and grooms are paying double what some of their relatives were paying. Obviously the cost of inflation plays a factor in the price increase which is somewhere around 2.5% according to the Consumer Price Index. For an average wedding it almost doubles at 4%.

Let us look at value. Are clients really getting their moneys worth? If a vendor refers someone and directly benefits from it, as far as cash revenue, is it tainted? In most cases I say YES! By someone not advertising in a publication, thus the venue can not refer that service anymore in which they are considered the best service in the area is that really what’s best for the client?

We need to look at what we are doing to the industry. By all means I’m not saying you can’t make money. Just do it morally and ethically. I fought for years to raise my rates until morally and ethically I could understand why I should charge it. After all, I can’t sell what I don’t believe. Don’t sacrifice someone in order to make a buck. You’ll sleep better and it NEVER works out in the end. All the corporate big wigs are getting caught in scandals or getting out of the biz because they can not live with it. I know because of the world some will and those are the ones we need to watch out for.

So next time a vendor refers someone make sure it is for the right reasons. Ask, “Is anyone making money off of this referral?” A good tip is advertising in a publication or a “house” vendor.

Remember this is their most memorable moment of their lives and we, the wedding industry, should think of that first.

Marc Summersett is the owner and operator of CE Entertainment in Tucson and President of the Tucson chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association.

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